Distribution system



Feb. 26, 1946. y l M. POTTS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 20, 1942 Feb. 26, 1946.

l.. M. P01-Ts 2,395,428 DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM e sheets-sheet 2 Filed Ju'ly 20. 1942 DI'STRIBUTION SYSTEM Filed July 20. 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 @me E @om Feb. 26, 1946. v

L M.' POT-rs 2,395,428

l DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM Filed July 20. 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Feb. 26, 1246. L, M POTTS 2,325,428

DISTRIBUTON SYSTEM' Filed July 20,V 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 In m Feb, 2s, w46., l.. M. POTTS 2,395,428

DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM Filed July 2O, 1942 s sheets-sheet 6 asf IIG

l Ina/chiot" Lozzz WZ @die Patented Feb. 26, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT YOFFICE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM Louis M. Potts, Evanston, I ll.assignor to Teletype Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation' of 'Delaware YApplication July 20, 1942, Serial No. 451,577

22, Claims.

for communication to other outlying or subsidiary stations through the central oces. Communication between any ones of a plurality of sub,- sidiary stations and others is fmost efficiently handled by recording, in a perforated form, the

message matter incoming from said stations and thereafter retransmitting said message matter to the respective destination stations when transmission lines are available. In order to facilitate thisoperation, incoming messages are recorded in one or more lengths of control forms, Whichare stored Within portable containers or spools, pursuant to copending application Serial No. 451,576, filed on even date herewith. Thereafter said message containers are directed to retransmitting apparatusvvhence the messages perforated on the forms are repeated as electrical impulses over outgoing lines, and directed to the proper destination stations, according to the address or other information carried by the messages.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a message distribution system and apparatus operating automatically todistribute the messages physically to signal transmitters associated With telegraph circuits extending to a plurality of subscribers to whom the messages may be addressed.

In the attainment of this and other objects, there is featured a strip preparing and carrier packaging apparatus'which automatically marks and spools lengths of message bearing control forms, a conveyor apparatus which routes said strip to a certain retransmitting apparatus, according to its marked destination, and thereafter unspools said message and automaticallyl inserts it into a retransmitting apparatus Where the message contained thereon is translated into telegraphic signals.

Briey, the invention employs an endless conveyor, along which there are arranged a plurality of signal controlled tape perforating machines each having electrical communication with an incoming line. Carriers are supplied to each one of the perforating machines and, as each incoming message is perforated upon a strip, it is wound intoa coil and placed within one of the containers With the address portion of the, message remain-' ing at the periphery so as to be visible to an operator. In order to obtain speed and economy advantages over manual distribution, means are provided for automatically placing the prepared message carriers or containers Within predetermined compartments or storage spaces inthe conveyor system which are destined for discharge at certain other stations along the conveyor,

1dA4 Whereat all messages for the same or for related destinations are discharged. There the spool is unvvound with the foremost` part Vof the message entering a retransmitting apparatus and, as the tape is Withdrawn from its container, the mes- 1-53 Sage thereon is translated into telegraphic signals and transmitted electrically 'to the designated station.

Among the novel features of the present invention, is the provision of apparatus associated 2li With a conveyor or distributing system whereby,

with a number of incoming line station equipments and a number of retransmitting appa.- ratuses,.a distribution arrangement may be made regardless of the physical location of saidequipments and apparatus so that messages coming over any one or more receiving station apparatuses may be routed one after another `to the transmitter apparatuses so as to avoid peak load conditions by utilizing all available Vline timeand 304 fully working thegreatest number `of central station apparatuses, as `vvill be indicated in particu larity hereinafter. 'The structure utilized in affording this feature of switching control has asso, ciated with it supervisory indicating lamps `so that in addition to servingias a switch board, this apparatus also constitutes a traffic index orguide.

Incidental to another feature of the present invention there is provided a message carrier routing apparatus consisting of a magazine and 40 hopper unit associated with each tape perforating receiver mechanism whereby the carriers, as they are loaded with message tapes and `then discharged, are deposited and stored -iniri-V dividual chutes predeterminedtas to destination.

Thereafter, as the belt conveyor is advanced by continuous operation and certain storage portions or compartments thereof pass beneath the vicinity of those chutes, means are provided` for automatically discharginghthe containers from said chutes, so that they will be precipitated and be received in the particular conveyor compartment which, together with other message containers also there, are routed to the same destinationV transmitter. Thereafter, when the particular compartment advances to the proximity of the particular transmitting apparatus associated with the destination line, means are provided whereby all of the containers of that compartment are discharged in orderly manner thereinto and thereafter placed into position for advancement and retransmission, which functions are automatically executed by special means provided at said apparatus.

For a morev comprehensive understanding of the details of the present invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings and to the particulars of the following specification, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout and wherein:

Fig. 1` is a circuit diagram featuring an interchangeable control and index panel through which any one or more of the tape perforating and storage machines may be operatively associated with predetermined compartments of the conveyor and whereby any one of the destination station apparatuses may be likewise prede-V terminedly associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of an installation table showing supports for a conveyor system having vincorporated therein certain Vfeatures of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail View of certain features of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View taken approximately on line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail View taken approxi-V mately on line 5-5 of Fig. 3

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a message container distribution hopper;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken approximately on line of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a control circuit arrangement associated with the Vapparatus featured in Fig. 2; and

. Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic circuit illustration of the electric supervising 'circuit for the operation of apparatus featured in Figs. 2 and 6.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2 and 8of the accompanying drawings, reference character I I designates an apparatus supporting table located in a central office distributing room and giving support to the vertical journal standards I2 and' I3', which carry the driving sprocket I4 andidler I5, respectively. Within the supporting legs of the table |I, there are journaled at I 6V and I1, lowermost sheave Wheels I8 and I9, all arranged in vertical plane alignment with driver I4 and upper wheel I5. A conveyor belt 2| formed of a suitable flexible material Vcourses about the wheels I4, I5, I8, and I9, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 8, and under impetus of the driver I4, moves continuously in a counterclockwise direction, advancing its several compartments successively by the various receiving chutes 22 of the transmitter apparatuses or the various discharge chutes 23 of the receiving perforator apparatuses.

Power for operating the conveyor system may be obtained from any suitable prime mover and is distributed through the drive sprocket shaft 24. A driving pinion 25, also carried upon this shaft, meshes with a distributor gear 26, Fig. 3,

between the distributor beit 21,- tnat is, its several compartments or spaced divisions located betweeny the partitions 33, and the receiving and discharge throats of the hoppers 22 and 23, as

will be explained later. Y

Cooperating with the Ybelt 2| and the partitions 33 to form a relatively complete enclosure for the contents of the belt compartments, is a rectangularly disposed channel 34 appropriately supported by the framework of the table II andV forming the internal and side enclosure elements;

that is, lowermost in association with the top side i of the belt 2|, uppermost in association with the bottom side of the belt, and innermost with re-V spect to the side portions thereof. As best indicated 'in Figs. 4 and 5, the channel 34 is of sufiicient width to accommodate the message containing Vspool 35 snugly but nevertheless freely so that they Ymay be carried without frictional impediment, the belt 2| being of sufficient width to overlie said channel 34 and having feed perforations for meshing with the sprocket teethV 36 of the driver, Fig. 4. l

At various points where communication is had with the chutes of the'distributors and transmitters, channel 34 is cut out to form suitable openings and at' the chutes 22 is'supplemented with Vcontrol mechanism, so that the intaking'of spools may be regulated and timed according to the operation of said mechanism. Thus, in Fig. 3, there may be noted at 31 that the bottom wall of the channel 34 is cut out Where space is made available to align with the intake throat 38 ofY a transmitter chute 22.' A section of supporting track 39, Fig. 5, is provided to take the place of the support afforded by the channel 34, and this portion of track is integrally associated with a control'lever 4I, pivoted at 42 and held by a spring 43 in traic supporting position.

Upon Vthe operation of a control magnet 44 overcoming the influence of spring 43, lever '4| is shifted so as to withdraw the supporting track Y 39 and to expose the cutout section for permitting those of the containers 35 which pass over the throat 38 to be precipitated into the chute 22.

The lowermost horizontal runner of channel 34 is also cut out, as at 45, Figs. 2 and 6,v so as to provide access to the compartments as they pass beneath'the storage hoppers 23; but, since this leg of the rectangular channel affords no support, it is not necessary to provide replacement rail sections such as that ,indicated 39, but

instead the channel'34 in the proximities Vdesignated 45 is cut away yfor distances coincident with the lowermost portions of the storage magazines Each of the magazine hoppers 23 is associated with a tape perforatingand spooling unit 46 v which may be of the type 0f apparatus described in the copending application referred to above.

As a message is reproduced upon a length of control strip and the prepared form is then placed into a carrier or portagecontainer 35, discharging elements drop the container through the vertical chuteway. 41, thence downwardly into an inclined passageway 48, Figs. 6 and 7. Here the container may be permitted to precipitate downwardly on an inclined supporting track made up of consecutive sections 49 normally reclined so as to form a continuous runway for the containers but selectively shiftable into the position such asV that occupied by the lowermost one designated in Fig. 6 so as to constitute an obstruction-or barrier to the further progress ofthe ,carriers 35.

whileatlthe. same-time :exposing-a .trapdoortescapewayas. iat I' .for admitting the! container thereat"downwardlyinto one oflthe individual.

upon an individual'pivot rod 53; and is integrally associated .with an actuatinggear 54 that meshes w-ith a lever segment 55 pivoted at. 55. TheV normal position of. each lever segment 55 is counterclockwise as viewed VinFig. 6 so that its lowermost extremity'overlies the' latching shoulder 51 of a bell'crankpivoted at 58. When any lever55 is actuated, it moves clockwise. about its` pivot 56 under the iniluence of an individual solenoid' 59, which inaccordance with the proposed control system', is capable of receiving a momentary energizing. impulse, but the operative condition of the lever?" 55 when placed into its clockwise:extremel positionis continued because its lowermost ex-V tremity becomes lodged behind shoulder 5l', as is the'eondition of the left and lowermost one of the` several' levers, as designated in Fig. 6.

VAs a result `of this operation, theA trapdoor 49 is raised and constitutes a barrier to the' further downward progress of any descending container 35. 'Howeven after a container 35 enters through thefopening 5l exposed by the withdrawn barrier 49 and begins to descend within its selected chute 52, it encounters an inwardly extending pin 6I integrally associated with the latching bell crank of its `operated segment lever 55 and causes the eamming` of it to one side and the consequent counterclockwise rocking or restoration of its bell crank. In this way, the passage by any carrier or container 35 through its selected chuteway 52 is made `to eiect the release of its associated trapdoor 59, restoring the normal condition to each magazine 23 when a spool, directed to one of its channels, has arrived at that. destination.

In the event that for one reason or another the control apparatus fails to select for operation one of the barriers 49, a spool or container 35 will continue downwardly past all of the barriered channelways 52 until it attains an ultimate discharge channelway `62, which directs such spools through its discharge opening 63 into a reservoir where the spool may be picked up manually and classified or inserted directly into its proper destination channelway 52, whichever is found to be the mo-st expedient disposition to be made.

'As the spools or containers 35 descend within the routing chuteways 52 of any one of the magazines 23, the first one of them in the order of descent encounters one o r the other of two sets of stop pins designated 64 and 65, depending upon the condition at the time of its magnet 68. In each chute both sets of pins are mounted on a single leverage bracket 66, pivoted on a shaft 61 and actuatable by a magnet 68, see also Fig. '1. Duringsthe normal, or de-energized, condition of the magnet 68, levers 66 are disposed as the one illustrated inFig. 7 with its lowermost projecting pins 64 extending into the chuteway 52 and blocking. the downward progress of the spools or containers35. As the lowermost container 35 is apprehended by the pins 64 and thereat arrested, the pins 65, being at the time retracted, are distolbe 'discharged through its chuteway'iogpening, at. 69. Thereafter, 'magneti 6.8i.again becomes.4 de;-

energized and lever. 6,6, whichxisthe armature: or l magneti 68, is permitted to: `resume its'normal, position-,under the` action of its spring,.retract1ng.

the stopipins 65 and replacing into blocking posii tion the stop'pinsf. This `operationpermits 'all ofthe containers 35 to Vdescendrthe. distanceof one spool, t there having.: been discharged .only-oneoflthem into the' channelway opening'45 for-.dis-

tribution.

The conveyor belt 2l` is preferably divided into a number ofi compartments each; of: sufficient size; to receive-a quantity of containers35. 'Thezratio' between driving pinion 251' and distributor-:drive gear wheel 26 is preferably suchas to allow `for the passage by a givenv point of. a lengthof belt 2|, equivalent to one compartmennwhilefbrush. 23 is` traversing yone of thesegments of ring. 29.

Mention has been made above of the transmitting distributor chutes 22 which receive the con.- tainers 35 as they are selectively discharged-.jin accordance with the operations of the control. magnets `lil associated with. each one Vof ithe chutes.. 22. Reference to the copending application referred `to above will reveal, concerning the structure of the containers 35, that each. is provided` with anV alignment compelling groove, best indicated at 11, Fig.4 3, as al means. for guiding the placement of the containers, preparatory;to.` the unwinding of the ribbon coil contained Ytherein. This aligning or guiding notch 1l located on one side Vof each container 35 is adapted to compel alignment with a key or rib 12, especially provided for' this purpose in those conducting` tubes and chutes where the critical alignmentof the containers. is a vital factor to their proper operation. Y

The transmitting distributor units 13 are ap-A paratuses of this class and, in order that each one-of the containers `which is dropped into the chute 22 may be brought into alignment, there is provided at each chute 22 a frictionally engaging drive roller 14 pivoted on a shaft 15 whichis supported on suitable brackets of the chute housing 22 and driven by a belt 16 fromv a driving pulley 11 that is carried by the shaft 24. chutes 22 having similar equipment to that just described, may be driven by a tandem pulley wheel and belt arrangement from shaft 15.

lBy means of this arrangement, driving pulley wheell 11, acting through belt 16, causes the friction roller 14 to eng-age the periphery of each one of the containers 35 and rotate the latter member until the notch 1.| is brought into proper alignment with the rib 12. Until this time is reached, a container 35 will be supported upon posed so as to align horizontally with the space rocks the supporting lever 66 clockwisefas viewed inliig 7,- withdrawing ,thepinslbut aslit does the upper end of the rib or key 12 so as to be engageable by the friction roller 14 and to be rotated slowly thereby. After the alignment is brought about, a container 35 `may no longer receive `support from rib 12, but Vinstead will descend properly aligned into the transmitting distributor in position to begin unreeling and signal transmission.

For reference to a disclosure of an automatically fed tape transmitting apparatus 13 that may be employed in connection with the present invention, attention is directed to copending application, Serial No. 505,273, led October 7, 1943, the features of whichare incorporated by -reference hereunto. i

'Attention will `now be directed to -Fig.8 wherein' so, wtlflel-pinsr-S 5,are:inserted-torblbckithe onvmingf second-spool; 35, permittingonly; ther lowest. one* Other thereisdisclosed, in conjunction with a schematic illustration of the apparatus featured in Fig. 2,

an illustrative circuit arrangement showing how` reperforating and transmitting units may be ernployed in accordance with the present invention to perform the various functions of regulating central station traffic in different types of intercommunication circuits.

In Fig. 8, belt 2|, which distributes the containers, encircles the drive roller I4 and idler rollers I5, I8 and I9.Y The first tape transmitter 'I3 on the left side of this diagrammatical illustration is connected over wire 'I8 to a duplex line generally indicated I9. At the distant station 8|, the receiving printer is represented by a receiving magnet 82. For transmitting in the other direction, various instrumentalities may be employed. A Vtransmitter of station 8| is represented by transmitting contact 83 and a home recorder by the magnet 84.

The next transmitter 'I3 of Fig. 8 sends directly over line 8l to a distant station 88 equipped for signal reception only. At 89 there is indicated a transmittef'and at 9|, a receiver apparatus,

in the latter of which the operating shaft is pro-I vided with a cam 92. During reception of signals by unit 9|, cam 92 continues to rotate, opening the contact pair 93 for intervals of but short duration. When incoming line signals over |02 cease, contact pair 93 remains closed for an extended period. During the intervallic operation of cam 92, slow-to-release relay 94 remains energizedi and continues to hold its armature 95. After a prolonged de-energization, however, armature 95 is released and in so doing closes a circuit which may include manually controllable switches 95 and 91 for energizing a relay 98 at the transmitter 89. The latter apparatus is designed to be able to operate during the energized condition of relay 98. At other times, the transmitter apparatus is withheld from operation but when relay 98 is energized, signals may be sent out over line 99 to actuate relay |04. The

. action of relay |94 is to'open the circuit between station |06 and 9| at the make-before-break switch |93, thereby supplying a substitute ground for line |02 but causing signal interruptions to become effective upon the |96 stations relay |05'.

By meansfof this arrangement, there is assured that the automatic tape transmitter 89 may not communicate with the destination station |99 during the time in which the latter is transmitting signals over line |92 through the operation of its transmitter contact |91. Thus there are illustrated in this schematic showing several examples of central oiiice service including one of intercontrol between an automatic transmitter unit 89 and a receiving printer and/or' tape perforator 9| There having already been described the structure of the automatically operable discharge chutes shown in Figs. 6 and 7, there will now be explained the features of an illustrativev supervisory circuit therefor, Fig. 9, whereby the distribution of storage spools or containers is had without manual execution but instead through the instrumentality of the receiving perforator which is accordingly made to serve as a storage magazine control medium'. Y

In Fig. 9, the reference characters 59a to 599 indicate a series of ten operating magnets which correspond to those designated 59 on Fig. 6. One end of the windings of each of these magnets after passing through an individual resistance connects with the common grounded batteryk line II5,in

, from grounded battery at |24, line |2I, through i .the winding of the operated relay IIS, contact which line is'located a slow-to-operate relay'I I 6. The 'other terminals of magnets 59 are connected over individual lines II'I to the armatures I|8 of their respectively associated supervisory relays supervisory contact pair |23, each of which may` beoperated coincident with the actuation of an associated selectable pull bar in the receiving de vice. A momentary actuation by one of the pull bars, though it closes a particular contact pair` |23 for but a brief interval, effects the energization and continued operation of its associated relay I I9 by reason of the locking circuits traceable pair |22, to the common locking circuit |25,-re lease circuit |23, contact pair |21 of slow-to-operate relay I I6, to ground.

In this manner, each one of the magazine chute release relays 59a to 59a is made directly responsive to a supervisory relay |I9a to |I97` which, in turn, responds to the impulse initiated upon the closure of one of the selective pull bars in the receiving apparatus by locking. In order that these selections may not occur except When the result Y is especially desired, means are provided for making the closure or energization of the relays 59 subservient to several preconditioning devices.r Thus, there is provided a relay I 28 which may be termedthe destination control relay, and its super- Y visory, contact pair |29 which is closed by a specialy l pull bar as a condition precedingthe destination selection of any of the othercontact pairs |23. Its contact Apair |32 is in series with a common ground circuit I3I to which one of the contacts of each pair |23 `and |29 is associated parallelly with the others. Also situated in series with the contact pair |32 and before ground is achieved,

are the universal bar operated Contact pair |33 and4 a character shift controlledcontact |34,v

Placement of ground upon common ground cir-` cuit |3I istherefore contingent upon the closure lofcontact pairs |34, |33, and |32. Another pair of control contacts are designated |35 and closed mechanically coincident with an end-of-message signal; that is, after a message has been completed by the Yrecording operator, the pair serves f to prepare a'circuit for energizing the coiling mechanism at the perforator apparatus. Before this is effective, however, there must also be op-V erated the two contact pairs |33 and I 34, the' former responding to the receiver universal bar, anoperation coincident with each revolution of the receiver driven shaft, and the latter contact pair |34 being controlled by the shift pull bar or its Vcorresponding element. None of the contact pairs |23 may become eiTective until thereY has been received a shift signal for the closure ofvcontact pair |34 nor until there has been operated the universal bar contact |33, followed by the destination signaloperated contact |29. It will be understood, therefore, that the actuation of any contact pair |23 at any time other than that following the succession of the preparatoryV signals aiore-described will have no eifect upon'the routing selector relays ||9 and their operating magnets 59. g l Coincident with the receipt Vof the end-of-mes-` sage-signal whereuponcontact .pair |35 i is closed,

a circuit-is completed which V-is traceabletrom the |31, relay |38 togroundedbattery at |36. Relay |38, which isthus energized,'is a supervisory start device described in the aforo-mentioned copending application andin the copending application, the `relay is `designated by the-reference character 4,9. In accordance with a preferred form of operation, this is followed by an Venergizing impulse `for the `destination relay |28 which will lock through its contact pair |39 and the grounded shift contact pair |34 vand so remain until an unshift signal is received for opening contact pair |34.

The winding arbor of the spooling machine is designatedcross-sectionally in Fig. I9 at 4 This shaft, whose full cycle of revolution coincides with the complete winding 'of a 'message upon the mandrel of said machine, is here shown with an` additional cam for actuating a contact pair |42. Towards the completion of its cycle, this cam of shaft |4| "engages a follower and through 1i;

its closure of contact pair |42, `there is caused to `be energized a slow-to-operate relay |43 over an obvious circuit effecting thereby the closure of a further contact pair |44.

As a result of the closure of contact pair |44, I

ground is placed upon the common line |45 which connects parallelly with 'one of the contacts of each relay `controlled contact pair H8, afore-described. This ycompletes the circuit, one of the relays |43 upon energization having prepared it, 'to `one of the magazinechute selecting relays 59a to 59a', 'and in responseto this function, a barhier plate 49, Fig. 6, associated with saidrelays 59 is raised into vertical or selecting position, thereby determining the magazine channel 5| into which the particular spcoled message will be directed, Relay |43 is made slow to operate, in

order to obtain the delayed selection of a routing relay r59 because there may be a possibility that a Vpreviously discharged'spoolrhas not `yet arrived at the selecting `chute 230i a'storag'e'magazine.

As 'relay |38 'corresponds to the start magnet or relay 4S indicated in fl''ig. 3 of the aforo-mentioned depending application so relay |41 correspends to the companion ima-griet or relay IIB illustrated thereat, In the tape spooling appa-` ratus there is provided a'probmg arm which, following the termination of a spool 'winding opera- Y tion, senses for the end or the tape and 'upon encountering this condition permits 'a contact pair thereat indicated ||`5 to close. This contact pair is design-ated in Fig. 9 by the r'e'f `er"e"`ncel numeral |48.

Accldllgly thle is VdiSClSed` in this lliLlSt'a-- tion a manner of 4supervising the destination for delivery of spools which contain V'n'ies'sa'ges following their release 'from aspool'ing machine such 32S that llllstraltd ill Said l'pel'idl'lg applitll Iand preparatory to tllei" being discharged Onto a `electromagnet which initiates the tape spooling 4 with the proper closure `of their associated barrier crtrapdoor 49. Meanwhile the conveyor belt 2 i, continuing its cycle under impetus of the'apparatus disclosed in Fig. 2, presents successively its compartments to the several discharge openingsiie of the various storage magazines. Upon the operation of anymagnet 68, one of the spools thereat withheld by the pins 64 is discharged and this performance is accomplished in a characteristic manner; that is, in accordance with a A predetermined plan so that the entry of the spool will be made into a particular` compartment` of the conveyor belt 2| `destined to be discharged at a particular station for retransmission.

Fig.. 1 illustrates a wiring diagram of a control board which may be `utilized for properly associating the performanceof the several magazine discharge release magnets 58, in relation to that of the magnets 4'4, Fig, 5, which serve to release the spools from the belt compartments into destination transmitter channels22,

For purposes of convenient differentiation and in so far as the conveyor itself is concerned, the

Vdisch-arge magazines may be referred to as loading 'stations while discharge chutes `22, which are associated with tape transmitters 'and unwinding machines, may be referred to as discharge stations. Within this contemplation the reference character |5i, Fig. l, `designates generally a loading station control circuit supervisory switchboard while the reference character |52 desig-A nates a corresponding control circuit switchboard for supervising the `discharge apparatus which too is provided with means for `varying the association of diierent compartments of the conveyor belt with Vdifferent discharge chutes of the transmitter equipment. In Fig. l, the rotary distributor apparatus of Fig. 3 is indicated at the lower left-hand corner of the wiring diagram andthe brush carrier 28 is thereat designated as sweeping over a segmented ring 29 and connecting its segments successively with a continuous solid ring 32. Each segment of ring 29 is electrically associated with a bus bar |5311I to |539'.

At each station, connecting lines |54 :associate each one of'the bus lines |53 with a particular. one of a series of ten terminal screwsdesignated |55. In the `junction block |56, each terminal screw is located opposite an associated terminal screw -|5'| but the electrical connection between terminal screws is nctinecessarily in correspondence with their opposite alignments. Instead the association between terminal screws |55 and V|51 may be had in accord-ance with any predetermined arrangement and thereby is established the release period in terms of sequence as rotary brush 28 traverses the segment ofring `2|) routing impulses over the branch lines |54.

Connected to the opposite terminals |51 are localbus `lines |58, each one of which extends across the` switchboard |5I and is connected'to the upper contact members |53 of ten pairs of contacts which may have` the form of conventional connector jacks that may be brought into electrical communication with 'each other upon the insertion of an electrically conductive plug (not shown).

The vother contact 'points of each pair of contacts |59 are connected horizontally to the cornmon bus lines |63 and each of these over a line Isl and thence through the windings of one of the spool release magnets 58a, to 687', the opposite terminal of whose. windings are connected together over a line |64 to grounded battery at |62, Accordingly, with the insertion of a conbe so conveniently adjustable.

nector plug in any one of the jacks, that is, the contact pairs |59, a circuit is completed traceable from one ofthe bus lines |58 through the particular contact pair having the inserted plug, thence over a horizontal bus line |63, individual circuit |6| through the winding of an associated magnet 68a to 687' to grounded battery at |62. At a critical instant when tne distributor brush 28 is traversing the segmented ring 29, therefore, an impulse originating at battery |62 is traceable through the Winding of one of the magnets 68a to 687 to ground at the collector ring 32 of the distributor. This will cause a spool to be released and to descend through its discharge opening 69 into one of the compartments of the belt 2|.

While the relationship between the segments of ring 29 and their related compartments in belt 2|l may be regulated through the gearing ratio between pinion 25 and driven gear 26, as explained in connection with the description of Fig. 3, the arrangement of transmitting and perforator-printing devices vat the central station oice as related to the table Fig. 2, may not Y In other words, the disposition of apparatus upon the table may not be always feasible in such a manner as to correlate thev operation of release magnets 68 and 44 with the progress of belt 2 I. Accordingly, means is provided whereby the functional response of its related magnet 44 or 69 may be attuned to the particular cycle of the distributor belt 2|--regardless of the location of each instrument with respect to said belt and also with respect to other instruments on the table A iirst regulation may be attained by bringing the belt to rest at any particular position with a discharge tube opposite a predetermined compartment in the belt 2|. Thereafter, a plug may be inserted in a related jack |59 which'will connect the segments on ring 29 then engaged by the brushes 3| Whose associated compartment is then opposite the discharge tube with the release magnet of the particular tube. This particular flexibility of adjustment alone is not sufficient to take care of all conditions, however, since under conceivable circumstances, another ,discharge tube may at the same instant be in alignment with its compartment in the belt 2| in which the discharge is desired at a particular moment. To accommodate for this contingency which may arise, there is provided the junction block |56 having the cross terminals |55 and |51, the internal connection between which may be bridged g as indicated in dotted lines on Fig, 1, in connection with the terminal block |55.

In the illustration of a discharge station |52 whose related switching, apparatus is generally identical with that of the loading station |5l, a junction block |65 is thereat indicated having the opposite terminal screws |66 and |61 after the manner of terminal screws |55 and |51, but in contradistinction therefrom there is shown an arrangement of hooking up terminal screws in such a manner as toV associate more than one of certain terminal screws of the class |61 with single ones of the terminal screws 66 and in reverse manner more than one of the terminal screws of class |66 may be electrically associated with single ones of theterminal screws |61. In accordance with this arrangement, there is illustrated a manner of operation whereby in discharging from the conveyor belt 2| onto the transmission chutes 22, several compartments may be made to discharge into a single chute.

There will be noted at |94 and |95, Fig. 8, two

rows of supervisory indicating lampsgthe former of which are connected over individual circuits |96 with control contacts |91 situated so as .toV

|91 and a consequent completion of a circuit |96 Y lighting a lamp |94 for a brief period. The frequency of flashes will give an indication of the amount of traiiic in that particular route. Whenever the chute receives an accumulation of carriers, the contacts |91 will be closed continuously and light the lamp |94 continuously, thus indicating to the traflic clerk that it may be necessary to start a new circuit or to reroute some of the trallic.

The index lamps |95 are connected over individual lines |99 to the back contacts 20| of the line relays 19 and these lamps |95 will iiicker in accordance with the signal impulses received by the relays 19 designating in a reverse manner each signal. The placement of the lamps |94 and |95 may be made close to their related jacks |59in order to be identied with the proper circuits and when any one of-the chutes 52 becomes full, a continuous lighting of its associated signal lamp |94 will apprise the operator of this Afact so that he may relieve the load from ones of the receiving apparatuses in favor of others which Ymay at a particular time be idle.

Thus,.there is described a system of perforated control form distribution having in mind a plurality of tape preparing stations and a, plurality of tape transmitting destinations with totallyV automatic intervening means for transferring tape which is prepared at incoming distribution stations and routed through an automatic conveyor apparatus to a plurality of retransmitting stations. There is thereby utilized eliciently all of the available line time of certain destina-tion stations through a control of the distribution. Through the wiring arrangement illustrated in Fig. 9, the discharge of coiled tapeV messages which have been placed into cylindrical containers may be regulated so as to be dropped into proper ones of a series of chutes in a storage magazine, Figs. 6 and 7. Thereafter these spools are released from their respective chutes in said storage magazine by the selective energization of release magnet 68 and received in compartments of an endless conveyor belt 2|, which compartments are destined to discharge into predeterminatey arranged ones of a series of transmitting device stood, nevertheless, that numerous variationsand Y modifications may be made without departing from the essential spirit or scope thereof. Accordingly, it is not intended to be limited by the specific language of the foregoing detailed description nor by the particular features shown on Y the accompanying drawings except as indicated in the hereunto appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a signaling system, a plurality of incoming lines, a plurality of outgoing lines, means for preparing control forms under the supervision `of` signal messages received over said incoming lines, means for transmitting signal messages over said 4outgoing lines .in accordance with .theperforations on prepared control forms, a conveyor and automaticrouting means responsive t Vdestination signalsY contained on incoming line messages for delivering perforated control forms on said conveyor to particular ones of said transmitting means of said outgoing lines.

2. In a message handling system, van endless conveyor for traveling over a route, an apparatus supporting table parallel to the sides of said route, a plurality of receiving perforators and tape transmitters supported on said table including discharge chutes from said route connecting said conveyor With said Vtransmitters and receiving chutes connecting said reperforators to said conveyor and means toV cause the messages to be discharged through predetermined of said discharge chutes to said conveyor and 'throughV predetermined of said .receiving chutesfrcm said conveyor.

3. In a message distributing system, an endless conveyor having a plurality of distribution compartments, a storage magazine comprising an inclined runway having communication with a series of parallel storage chutes, selective barriers movable from a supporting position to a deflecting position for directing message carriers from said runway into predetermined ones of said chutes, and releasing mearm individual to each of said chutes for discharging said message carriers from said chutes'in'to predetermined ones of said compartments, said discharge into certain compartments being dependent upon which of said storage chutes said message carriers were directed into.

4. In an automatic control system, means for variably associatingY a plurality of discharge devices with conveyor compartments comprising, in combination, a series of electromagnetic release means each associated with one of said discharge devices, a cyclically operative distributor having .release segments timed to accord with successive compartments of a conveyor, a plug board1 and electrical connecting means establishedby said plug board for variably associating the segments of said distributor With different ones of said electromagnetic release means.

5. In combination with a plurality of tape perforating machines, apparatus for distributing the tape following its preparation comprising means for packaging said tapes Within carriers, a series of `discharge chutes leading from each of said machines, a plurality of deflecting elementsfor directing thepassage of a'carrier from any of said machines to a particular discharge chute, and means responsive to a portion of the message similar to that installed on said perforated tape for preparing one of said deiiecting elements for subsequent operation when its carrier is released to said discharge chutes.

6. In a telegraph system, a traiiic distribution station having a plurality of communication circuits, apparatus responsive to signals over said circuits for preparing and packaging a control form, apparatus operated by said form for transmitting signals over said circuits, and means controlled by certain of the signals received over said circuits for causing said prepared and packaged forms to be routed from their preparing and packaging apparatus to a selected transmitting apparatus.

7. In a sorting system, a plurality of stations each having apparatus for preparing a form with destination signals and message signals, a conveyor for transporting a form to any one of a series of destinations, and means associated With said conveyor and under the control of saidriesti.. nation signals for discharging the forms from said conveyor at correspondingdestinations.

`8. Ina supervisory traiiic control system, a plurality .of loading stations, a number of chutesV at each of said stations, a number of destination stations, a plug board, and electrical control means established by said plug board for interchangeably associating certain of said chutes with any of said destination stations.

9. In a telegraph traffic control system, a plurality of machines for preparing transmitting tape, a plurality of transmitters operable by said tape, means under the control of an electrically adjustable traffic board for routing prepared tape from said preparing machines to said transmitters in accordance with information carried by the tape, and. signal lamps associated with each of said transmitters for denoting the volume of traiiic borne thereby.

1l). In a telegraphic system, a telegraph circuit, a receiving device controlled by signals received over said circuit and adapted to prepare unit pieces of record material each bearing a record of the signals appertaining to a single message, a plurality of destinations for said messages, conveyor means to carry a unit message to any one of said destinations, and means controlled by signals accompanying each unit message to determine the particular destination to which said message is delivered.

1i. In a control system, a plurality of items to be transported, a conveyor for said items, a plurality of loading stations adjacent said conveyor, a plurality of destination stations adjacent said conveyor, means to discharge an item at any destination station. control means at a centralpoint for controlling the loading at all said loading stations and the discharge at all destination stations, and means including a plug board included in said central control means to quickly alter the control at any loading station or the discharge at any destination station.

l2. In a carrier system, a plurality of containers, a `stationary `container receiving reservoir, a plurality of compartments in said reservoir each capable of receiving containers, means to deliver containers to said reservoir, a gate at the entrance to each compartment, means to open a particular gate according to the destination of a container placed in the reservoir, a series of travelling compartments, a second gate in each stationary compartment intermediate said first-mentionedn gate containers to said entrance compartment, means to open said entrance gates selectively according to the destinations of said containers, and means to delay the discharge of said container from said secondary compartment until a selected receptacle is opposite said corresponding discharge outlet.

14. In a telegraph system, a plurality of signal trolled devices for preparing control v forms adapted to control said transmitters; a poweroperated conveyor means for carrying said prepared forms from said form preparing device to a transmitting device, and means included in said preparing device and controlled by the received signals for selectively controlling said conveyor to deliver said form at a transmitter corresponding to the destination of said form.

15. In a telegraph system, a receiving instrument for preparing messages, each message being V recordedfon an individual piece of record material, a transmitter adapted to receive said pieces of material and to be controlled thereby, and

means including a conveyor entirely automatic tov selectively transfer saidY record material from said preparing device to said'transmitter in condition to control said transmitter.

16. In a telegraph system, a receiving devicey adapted to prepare control forms on unitary pieces of record material, a plurality of transmitters adapted to receive and be controlled by said control forms, conveyor means to receive said completed forms and deliver them to a particular transmitter, means adjacent to Vsaid transmitter to receive and locate the form for transmitting cording to destinations assigned to thechutes.

18. In a retransmission system, a plurality of receiving lines, a plurality of transmitting lines, means for preparing a control form under the supervision of signals received over one of said receiving lines, means for transmitting a message in accordance with the preparations on said control form over one of` said transmitting lines, and

automatic means including a conveyor responsive to some of said signals received over said incoming lines for selectively directing said prepared control forms to said retransmitting means whereby said messages are transmitted over selected transmitting lines.

.transmitting devices, a plurality of signal con- 19. In a' retransmission system, apparatus responsive to incoming line signals for making cor- 20. In a'retransmitting system, a plurality of lines for receiving unit messages each composed of routing, text, and end of message'signals, a

plurality of lines Vfor transmitting said messages, means for preparing a control form under the supervision of said unit message received over one or" said receiving lines, means for transmitting a message in accordance with the preparations on said control form over one of said transmitting lines, Vautomatic means including a conveyor conditioned by said routing signals received over said incoming line for selectively directing said prepared control form to one of said transmitting means, and means responsive 'to said end of mes; sage signal for determining when said automatic means will become eiective.

2l. In a retransmission system, a plurality of stations for receiving incoming code signals and preparing a control form foreach unit message, a loading station associated with each of said receiving stations, a plurality of stations for transmitting said unit messages under the control of s said control forms, a discharge station associated with each of said transmitting stations, a conveyor, and means responsive to some of said incoming code signals for selectively routing said control forms over said conveyor whereby said control forms may originate at any of said loading stations and be routed to any of said discharge stations.

22. In combination with a continuous conveyor system, a plurality of loading stations, a plurality of discharge stations, a plurality of chutes at each of said loading stations, means for automatically delivering articles to said loading'stations and routing them predeterminedly into one of said chutes, means associated with said conveyor to discharge said articles'at one of said discharge stations in accordance with the nature of the chute through which it was routed, and switchable means for variously associatingY said chutes with any of said discharge stations to suit periodic changes in traic conditions. Y

LOUIS M. POTTS. 

